Morihei Ueshiba (December 14, 1883–April 26, 1969) was known for studyng several martial arts. His expertise in this field made him found his own art: namely Aikido. Aikido was developed as a fusion of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Explore what we can learn from this creative strategist!

1. "Even the most powerful human being has a limited sphere of strength. Draw him outside of that sphere and into your own, and his strength will dissipate."

The first hurdle is always within ourselves, if you don't have confidence in your work then it's most likely that no one else will either. Always win by doing things that you are proud of, and, of course, with speed of action.

3. Create each day anew.

Each day brings a new challenge. Set up high goals for every day!

4. "It is necessary to develop a strategy that utilizes all the physical conditions and elements that are directly at hand. The best strategy relies upon an unlimited set of responses."

Becoming a strategist is about knowing how and where to take responsibility. Create an action plan and take responsibility for the actions that you aim to proceed with. What responses will these actions lead to? How can you gain more clients? Think of a strategy for how to reach your goals with actions.

5. “Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.”

We need to constantly develop our inventions and ideas. Why? Because your market is changing constantly and new innovations leads to new opportunities and needs. Which is great! No good being in a dead market.

6. "Seeing me before him, the enemy attacks, but by that time I am already standing safely behind him."

Always think of how each aspect of the market will respond to your work. It's crucial to be one step ahead of competitors if you want to survive. Of course, this means a lot of hard work and making a detailed competitive analysis.

7. "Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops. The ideal economy combines the spiritual and the material, and the best commodities to trade in are sincerity and love."

Your market develops if the prices that are offered are in sync with what people truly wants.

When you've made a mistake or when a competitor is challenging you, it's rather easy to panic and lose grip of the situation. At times like this it is important to take a minute to distinctively dissect the problem and in what ways it can be best solved.

9. There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.

If you put all your energy on how to overcome your competitors, you have missed the point. You're creating a strategy to help one person, and that is your potential client. It's easier to gain results if you place your focus on helping rather than defeating.

10. "Ultimately, you must forget about technique. The further you progress, the fewer teachings there are. The Great Path is really No Path."

Your actions leads you to results, not the other way around. Don't follow other peoples' results, make your own!